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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. capital — money
  4. bore — to drill
  5. net — for catching
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bore — to tire
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — a group
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. net — in sport
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. net — after costs
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lie — to recline

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com